Gustave Bellegro “Gus” Yaeger was born on July 10, 1878 at Genoa, Italy. The son of Swiss parents, he immigrated to the United States, working in West Virginia then North Dakota before arriving in Brandon, MB in 1910. He worked at various jobs before opening Yaeger's Furs, a fur-coat factory and retail store at 602 Rosser Avenue, in 1919.
Yaeger married Sarah Ellen Williams (1883-1966) of Big Rock, Idaho in 1907. They had two children: Karl Williams Yaeger (1908-1975) and Barbara Yaeger (m. H.H. Ricketts).
Gus Yaeger died on March 25, 1942 in Brandon, MB. His son carried on the business after his death before selling it to one of the managers in 1969.
The Dionne quintuplets, born May 28, 1934, were the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. They were born just outside Callandar, ON.
Scope and Content
Item is a photograph of the Yaeger's Furs Dionne quintuplets Christmas window display. The display features five dolls dressed in fur coats and bonnets, a framed photo of Gus Yaeger, a Christmas tree and a cardboard Santa.
Notes
History/Bio information taken from the Manitoba Historical Society website (http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/yaeger_gb.shtml)
For custodial history see the collection level description of the Lawrence Stuckey collection.
Scope and Content
Syndicate Block
Notes
Located at the SW corner of 7th St. & Rosser Ave (former location of Eaton's store).
Tenants at time of photo: The Merchants Lt., McWhirter & Ball, Vincent & MacPherson. For history of Vincent & MacPherson see Brandon: A City, pp 125-126, by Barker.
Erected in 1889, at 806 Rosser Avenue (the southeast corner of Rosser Avenue and 7th Street), the building was designed by Brandon architect W.H. Shillinglaw. At the time of its construction the structure housed the Nation Department Store, which became Nation & Shewan Department Store in 1894. One of Brandon’s largest and most successful drygoods businesses, the venture was owned and operated by Fred Nation and Alexander Shewan.
Built adjacent to an existing three storey brick building known as the A.D. Rankin Block (built sometime between 1885 and 1888), this smaller building was eventually absorbed by the Nation and Shewan Block after 1897, when Rankin Drygoods moved into the newly constructed Syndicate Block located farther east down Rosser Ave. Later, the Rankin Block became known as Nation Chambers. These two structures comprised what was known as the Nation and Shewan Block.
Major improvements were made to the store and an annex was added in 1910. Some of the renovation additions included, but were not limited to: an updated frontage with new copper sash windows and prismatic glass tops, plate glass windows, new fixtures and carpet. With the renovations the floor space of the business was almost doubled. The stock of the business also increased, with the Brandon Weekly Sun reporting that when finished, Nation & Shewan would be a “store of which the citizens of Brandon will be justly proud.”
The drygoods firm operated until Nation’s death 1926, when it became known as A. Shewan Limited. From 1933 to 1944, the business was known as Shewan and Son. Shortly thereafter, the Metropolitan Stores Ltd began operating out of the Nation & Shewan Block.
In 2000, the Town Centre prepared to knock down what was then known as the Red Apple Building, the former Nation & Shewan Block. The demolition was to make way for the new atrium and entrance for the mall, and begin a new period of redevelopment at the downtown shopping centre.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of the Alf Fowler collection for custodial history.
Scope and Content
Photo shows the front of the Nation & Shewan Block, which was located in the 800 block of Rosser Avenue on the southside.
Storage Range
RG 5 Western Manitoba Manuscript collection - photograph storage drawer
Block A was the most southern site in the locale. The excavation block consisted of 12 contiguous 1m2 units dug in a 3m x 4m rectangle. The block was the least productive of cultural materials, and bone preservation was the poorest. Under the sod, the black loam layer appeared at 5 cm below surface, and the glacial clay at 25 cm below surface. Excavators described the soil matrix as gritty and silty, and it became concrete hard when dried.
The occupation or bone layer extended from 10 to 25 cm below surface and consisted of a contiguous scatter of FCR and unidentifiable large ungulate bone which was heavily processed and intensively scavenged by carnivores. Most cultural materials were recovered within this layer. Fire cracked rock (FCR) and small burnt bone fragments were present but no intact hearths or processing features were evident.
Non-cultural materials included limestone and other natural pebbles derived from the parent till. (These small limestone pebbles were apparent in the occupation layers in other blocks as well). Root and rodent disturbance was extensive throughout Block A. Most units were excavated to gravelly clay till. Nine of the twelve units were dug to level 4b, which ended at 40 cm b.s.
No further excavations were done at this site. No C14 dates were taken.
Scope and Content
Sub-sub-sub series contains: Summary information of field methology, number and co-ordinates of excavations, personnel and their staff position; Field journals are daily records of recoveries, features and activities at the site; Site records include excavation level and unit summaries, feature sheets, profiles; sample records and maps; Artifact catalogues are lists and identifications of all artifacts recovered; Photographs are of excavation units, features, the landscape and personnel.
Photograph was given to Fred McGuinness by Linda Bilkoski (nee Lepard) of Lac du Bonnet, MB.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the remains of the Syndicate Block after the fire in January 1916. The building is situated on the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Rosser Avenue. Ice from the firefighting process covers the building. The tailor shop J.S. Laughton & Son (701 Rosser Avenue) can be seen on the north side of Rosser Avenue.
Photograph shows the recently constructed Strathcona Block. H. Lamontagne & Co. Ltd., Wholesale, occupies the ground floor. Scaffolding is suspended from the north side of the building. Buildings have yet to be erected to the north and south sides of the Strathcona Block.
Notes
Back of photograph is stamped: Hughes & Co. Ltd., 1009 Princess Ave., Brandon, Man.
The Curtis Block was built in 1900, possibly by Fred Stevens.
Custodial History
See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.
Scope and Content
Image of the Curtis Block in Baldur, MB. The Victoria Hall, for public performances, was located on the upper floor. A group of men, one holding a hockey stick, and a dog are standing in front of the street entrance to the building.
The Fowler Block in Baldur, MB was built in 1899 by Alex Fowler.
Custodial History
See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.
Scope and Content
Image of the Fowler Block in Baldur, MB. On the left is a shoe and harness shop owned and operated by the Fowlers from 1899-1978. On the right is J. Smith & Co. Merchants, a grocery and dry goods store. As of 2000, a grocery store still occupied the premises. Men are standing in front of the entrance to the two stores.
Photograph shows the east side of 10th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, between Rosser and Princess Avenues. Businesses visible in the Brown Block include (from north to south): Singer, Pittsburgh Paint & Glass, O. Stark & Son, Elna Sewing Centre, and Canadian Pacific Telegraphs. The Prince Edward Hotel is visible in the background.
Photograph is looking northeast and shows the east side of the 200 block of 8th Street. Visible are First Church United, the YMCA under construction and the Beaubier Hotel.
Repro Restriction
The McKee Archives is the copyright holder for the Stuckey materials.